Enough
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: AU. Despite her father’s embittered grudge, and her own loss, a little mermaid’s curiosity in the world above is reborn.


Disclaimer: _The Little Mermaid_, all characters, places, and related terms belong to Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney Pictures.

Author's Note: Inspired by ThePurpleMermaid's TLM music video "Let My People Go" on youtube.

* * *

Enough

The sea is already starting to moan in a deep, mournful voice, and the wind's whistling sharply when I reach the surface. It is early evening; yet there is no hint of sun or blueness. Thickening clouds move across the sky. I shiver. It will be a fierce, terrible storm tonight.

Every day the storms Daddy creates with his trident become more powerful, more devastating. They now even affect us under the sea: seaquakes have shaken Atlantica, and whirlpools twice have touched the ocean floor. Yet it is more frightening in the world above. Ships that get caught in the storms while out at sea are damaged, blown off course; having them completely destroyed is Daddy's main purpose, however. Sailors who fall into the ocean are dragged far down, down, down into the cold merciless fathoms by strange, pale mermaids who live in the wilderness on Daddy's orders.

A low hiss sounds, and a trail of blue light shoots up from the ship into the sky; I watch it climb. This is my fourth time up to the surface.

For many months I obeyed Daddy's commands forbidding any merperson to visit the surface. I was caught between grief, anger, and confusion. For so long I thought all humans were the same: kind like Eric. But strange, wild-looking men on a black ship caught Mommy, dragged her out of the sea and… All my sisters and I were there, and Daddy was too late. How could humans be capable of such terrible things?

Daddy was grief stricken. And I…I was scared and did not want to have anything to do with that world above that I'd been so interested in before. Soon Daddy's grief turned to rage, and he blamed all the humans for Mommy's death and claimed there never again would be peace between our worlds. And he caused storms to ravage the sea, destroying ships and drowning people, in revenge.

One day I went to my grotto that has my secret collection of human stuff. I remembered how I had learned about them all from Scuttle and how I sometimes wished I could be a human. I remembered Eric; what a special friend he was, so kind and nice. He had not minded I was a mermaid, and respected my family. He did not deserve to be blamed for Mommy's death. Nor for his people to be killed for something they had no part in.

That was the first time I snuck up to the surface again. It was the same, yet so different. Mommy was no longer with me to take it all in; she had encouraged my curiosity with the world of humans. How much I missed her. For the first and last time I saw small, twinkling dots of light against the clear night sky – stars. Gazing at them, I felt a peace and comfort I had not experienced in a long time.

Thereafter I listened in silence to the grumblings against humans. Only once I ventured to ask Daddy when the sea would grow truly calm again. _Never_, he had whispered, his trident gripped tightly while it steadily glowed brighter. During every storm I hoped in vain for him to have mercy.

Now I watch the blue light vanish into the low clouds. An instant later, lightning brightens the dark sky, and thunder rumbles. I struggle against the current and wind to swim towards the ship rocking in the dark waters. Now I am certain it is Eric's ship. Today is his birthday, and they must have gone sailing to celebrate. I swim closer.

The last time I saw Eric was a year ago on his eighteenth birthday. I had given him a magical shell: holding it to your ear, you could always hear the crashing of waves and mermaids singing. He had been delighted with it and thanked me. To my surprise he kissed my cheek; it had felt so different from when Flounder or Urchin did it, when bubbles tickled my cheek and I would giggle. Instead I had been very aware of how soft his lips had been, the tingles dancing across my cheek. For some strange reason I still cannot explain, I became shy, unable to look at him, and made an excuse to leave though I had only just arrived at the surface. I have not seen him since.

The wind is now howling, lightning flashing quickly, thunder crashing, and the sea churning angrily. I hear shouting on the ship as it is at the storm's mercy, before a wave crashes over me and I go under, tumbling over and over. I am momentarily stunned, and I shake my head as I try to right myself. To my dismay, I make out the mermaids from the wilderness slowly swimming up from the deep depths below. Their strange foreign singing softly reaches out to me. They are coming for the sailors. I twist around and struggle to reach the surface again. I come out of the water, and the wind pulls and pushes me while rain lashes at my face. Thunder cracks overhead, and a bolt of lightning lights the scene for a moment. My eyes widen in horror as I realize the ship is partly on fire and has slammed into a large rock. Cries of fear and pain fill the air as men fall into the water.

With difficultly I attempt to get closer to the damaged ship. If only I could try to help the humans somehow. Suddenly there is a terrible BOOM from the ship, a ball of fire, and then so much smoke.

"_Eric!_" I do not know if it is the frantic voice of a man or the wail of the wind.

Fearful yet determined, I swim through the debris floating in the sea, searching desperately. Then I spot a figure ahead clinging to a piece of wood. He disappears under the water and I, too, dive in. Two mermaids lift up their arms as he sinks down. _No!_ Swiftly I swim after him. I won't let the mermaids have him.

I wrap my arms around him at the same moment the mermaids pull on his legs. They bare their sharp yellow teeth at me, and their eyes flash dangerously. I struggle to swim up while they pull down. I stare up at the rippling surface seemingly so far away. I have to make it. Eric cannot live under water. I flip my fins harder and then I shoot up, break the surface, free! Careful to keep Eric's head above the water, and watching out for the mermaids, I start the long swim to shore.

* * *

Slowly I lift my head up from the sand. My body is sore, my head aches, and my heart beats quickly. I notice the sun rising and hear the calling of seagulls. Sitting up, I gaze at the clear, calm water gently rolling onto the beach, lapping at my fins. It is a beautiful morning, a contrast to last night's storm.

This reminds me of my long, tiring swim, and I look at Eric lying beside me. He has not moved since I reached the beach (too tired to swim all the way to his castle), and I am not sure if he is alive. I shift closer to him and brush some damp dark hair from his forehead. A wave of sadness flows through me. Was I too late? Did the mermaids keep us underwater long enough for…? My cheeks become wet as I gently brush my hand over Eric's cheek. For a long time I gaze at him, searching for any sign of life.

The sound of far-off barking startles me, and I look up to see a huge dog bounding towards me. Is it…yes, it's Max, Eric's dog! Help must be coming. I look down when something brushes my hand to discover Eric's hand covering my own. His eyes are focused on me, and the clouds in them clear. He is alive!

I pull my hand free and quickly turn towards the sea.

"Wait… Ariel!" I hear just before the water closes over me. I do not resurface or look back as I swim as fast as I can for home. If Daddy finds out I was at the surface, rescued Eric, he will be furious. Yet I am not sorry for what I have done.

_It is enough that Eric lives_, I tell myself. Despite the unknown ache forming in my chest, the warmth radiating from my hand he held, hearing him say my name, and seeming to be embraced so briefly by that world, it must be enough that he lives. I will not see him again or be part of that place.

It is enough.

THE END


End file.
